PES Women

21/05/2026

🎙️ Congress Voices

At the IUSY World Congress 2026, conversations around equality, rights and social justice highlighted the importance of solidarity across movements and generations.

Today’s voice is Gurmai Zita , President of PES Women whose intervention reminded participants that the fight for gender equality and human rights remains deeply interconnected.

“The same forces that attack trans rights are the same forces that attack abortion. Our struggles are not just compatible, they are inseparable.”

08/05/2026

At today’s PES Women Executive Meeting, we took stock of concrete feminist victories delivered by our progressive family ✊🌹

The European Parliament adopted the landmark report led by S&D rapporteurs .sw and calling for an EU-wide consent-based definition of r**e, making clear that “only yes means yes”.
At the Council of Europe, two reports led by on building a culture of consent and strengthening the implementation of the Istanbul Convention were also adopted with strong majorities.

👩‍🍼 Another concrete victory: thanks to the work of progressive forces in the Parliament, proxy voting for pregnant MEPs and new mothers has now been adopted — helping make political life more compatible with motherhood.

🌍 We also reflected on the Global Progressive Mobilisation in Barcelona, jointly organised by the PES, Socialist International and Progressive Alliance and hosted by PSOE, where we brought feminist voices to the centre of the mobilisation with strong international representation.

📚 We welcomed the presentation of FEPS’ new work on the care economy by young researchers Dr Monika De Silva and Isabel Hernández Pepe.

Finally, the Executive formally adopted two key policy papers on Women’s Health and Feminist Economy, to be published soon 💜

23/04/2026

Throwback to our participation at the Global Progressive Mobilisation in Barcelona 🌍✊

Over two days, more than 5000 activists and leaders came together to push back against rising polarisation and defend the equality we still have to fight for.
✨ Our feminist agenda:
☕ Female Leaders Breakfast
Together with the Progressive Alliance, we brought women leaders from across the world for a powerful and energising exchange on representation, feminist cooperation, and solidarity across regions.

🎤 Panel: “Progressive Feminism as a Global Democratic Defence”
With voices like Pilar Bernabé Garcia .bernabe.garcia, Risa Hontiveros, Helena Dalli, Oliver Röpke and .lu Nicolas Schmit, we discussed how feminist leadership and alliances are key to defending democracy, countering attacks on rights, and building a more equal future.
Hosted by Zita Gurmai, with closing remarks by Iratxe García Pérez .

The mobilisation also featured a powerful feminist exhibition, reminding us of the struggles and victories that made today’s rights possible, and the generations of women behind them.

Feminism is not just a fight for equality - it is a fight for democracy.

16/04/2026

Welcome to the Progressive Alliance for Freedom, Justice and Solidarity

16/04/2026

We’re opening the Global Progressive Mobilisation with a crucial conversation on feminism and democracy - be there tomorrow at noon! ⬇️🔥

Women’s rights are never won once and for all. Across continents, coordinated reactionary forces are targeting gender equality, reproductive autonomy, and LGBTQI+ rights as part of a broader assault on democracy itself.
Defending feminism means defending democracy.
This session brings together elected officials, European institutional leaders, and high-level policymakers to explore how progressive actors can build stronger alliances, reclaim the political narrative, and turn feminist solidarity into a collective democratic strategy. ✊💜

12/04/2026

Women’s rights are not won once and kept forever. Across continents, coordinated reactionary forces are targeting gender equality, reproductive autonomy, and LGBTQI+ rights as part of a broader assault on democracy itself. Defending feminism is defending democracy. ✊

At the Global Progressive mobilisation, PES Women panel « Progressive feminism as a Global democratic defense » will bring together elected representatives, European institution leaders, and international policymakers to explore how progressives can build stronger alliances, reclaim the political narrative, and turn feminist solidarity into a collective democratic strategy. 💭🌍

See you in Barcelona for the on 17 & 18 April!

02/04/2026

30/03/2026

The IUSY World Congress has just successfully wrapped up in Istanbul, hosted by .youth, bringing togeCumhuriyet Halk Partisi-CHP 🇹🇷 young socialists from 150 countries!

We warmly congratulate the newly elected leadership ZarazuatRena Hassaniehst for their mandate. We also thank the outgoing team for their strong dedication! 💜

PES Women President was there to cGurmai Zita them and engage with the youth during a common panel, in partnership with Rainbow RRainbow Roseffectively resist current attacks on equality.✊
She also reaffirmed our unwavering support for the party and detained Mayor Halk Partisi-CHP 🇹🇷glu_int Ekrem İmamoğEkrem İmamoğlu (Int’l)after the government began its repression of the opposition.youth Cumhuriyet Halk Partisi-CHP 🇹🇷Int. Union of Socialist YouthRainbow Rose

21/03/2026

PES Women statutory meeting just took place in Zagreb, hosted by .hr SDP Croatia and its Women’s Forum.

Discussions focused on:
• gender parity in political representation — including SDP Croatia’s recent statute changes introducing full parity, zipper lists, and stronger intergenerational balance.
• the new EU Gender Equality Strategy and the implementation challenge
• our ongoing policy work on women’s health and the feminist economy

Thank you to Joško Klisović , Sandra Krpan for their welcome and presence, and to our Vice-President Sonja Kovač.

16/03/2026

🗽💜 Last week, PES Women was present at , which this year focused on strengthening access to justice for all women and girls.

⬇️ Here are some highlights:

• Our successful event with the Progressive Alliance, “Beyond the Law: Closing the Gaps in Anti-Discrimination and Gender Justice”, which brought together inspiring ministers, parliamentarians, UN Women representatives and feminist leaders from Europe, Latin America and Africa – with great participation from the audience.

• PES Women President Zita Gurmai’s reflections during the “Parity Now!” event organised by the European Women’s Lobby, highlighting the state of play in our political family and our continued efforts and initiatives to achieve parity.

• The EU–Cypriot reception on the occasion of , focusing on EU and Cypriot priorities for gender equality in the context of the upcoming Presidency of the Council.

• The event organised by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, where Zita Gurmai moderated a discussion on countering backlash and safeguarding women’s rights.

• We also attended official sessions and held meetings, including with UN Secretary-General António Guterres; UN Women Deputy Executive Director Kirsi Madi; UN Under-Secretary-General for Policy Guy Ryder; former Swedish Minister for Foreign Affairs Ann Linde; Cypriot Commissioner for Gender Equality Josie Christodoulou; and representatives of the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung.